Nurses' morale at 10-year low

Optimism about job security, career progression and training have also plummeted to their lowest levels since 1997, according to the study.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), which questioned 9,000 of its members across the UK, warned that nurses' goodwill was "at breaking point".

The survey, which comes as the RCN conducts a ballot in England on industrial action over pay, also reveals that many nurses are struggling to make ends meet.

More than a quarter are forced to take a second job and 87% feel they are poorly paid compared to other professions. One in four said they would leave nursing if they could and less than half said they would recommend it as a career.

Some 55% nurses felt they were too busy to provide the care they would like, although 58% worked longer hours than they were contracted for. The research also highlights fears about the future, with only 34% of those questioned saying nursing offers a secure job (down from 71% in 2005) and 35% fearing redundancy (up from 7% in 2005).

Morale among nurses was found to be at a record high when the RCN last surveyed its members in 2005.

RCN general secretary Dr Peter Carter said: "To have such a large part of the nursing workforce genuinely worried about the security of their employment is simply unacceptable. Despite feeling undervalued, underpaid and under threat our nurses continue to put in the hours and dedication to deliver high quality patient care. In the week that nurses are receiving ballot papers on proposed industrial action this survey demonstrates to the Government that nurses' goodwill is at breaking point."

The RCN is asking nearly 200,000 nurses in England whether they want to be balloted on industrial action over a pay dispute. Devolved administrations in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland have agreed to pay this year's 2.5% pay award in one go. But nurses in England have only been offered a 1.5% pay rise in April followed by a further 1% rise in November - reducing the value of the award to 1.9%.

Responding to the survey's findings, Health Secretary Alan Johnson said: "No doubt this has been a very tough year for nurses. I understand the problems they face and their frustration with the staged pay award. This is a difficult but essential part of the Government's overall public sector pay strategy to control inflation so that we don't see a return to higher interest rates and higher prices. It is only by prudent management of the economy that we have been able to make unprecedented investment in the NHS, including the recruitment of 80,000 new nurses since 1997."